Set Free
by AnnFleur
Summary: After Zach admitted to being Gormogon's apprentice, Brennan was hurt. Can Booth help her?
1. One Night

_if we could see that this was all that we need _

_inside our minds _

_bodies and souls _

_we wouldn't run and we would let go _

_cause we'd realize _

_that we had _

_that we had no control_

Katie Gray – Set Free.

'I think you gave him something great, Bones.'

She looked down at the letter she'd given Zach, and her body was drawn into Booth. She leaned her head on his shoulder, trying to think of a way to survive this blow. It was a blow for the entire lab, no one had expected this. But it was also a personal blow. She had always considered Zach to be the only other person in her life that understood her. And now, he had used the only thing she truly believed in to destroy his life: Logic.

Booth sat there, letting his partner and close friend lean on his shoulder. He knew this was difficult for her. She'd seen Zach as her brightest pupil, probably close to a son. And now he had abandoned her. Like her parents had abandoned her, like her brother had abandoned her. Like love had abandoned her many, many times before. He could feel this would be a difficult one to overcome with her, but he wanted her to know he would be there for her. She wouldn't let him in at first, but she'd have to. Because such a hard personal blow couldn't be solved by logic, and he knew that somewhere, deep inside, Bones knew that as well.

'Come on, let me drive you home,' he said. She raised her head from his shoulders, her eyes focused on the floor. Nodding, she let him help her up and followed him to his car.

She was grateful to have him be with her for now, she hadn't felt this empty for a very, very long time.

He just observed her, until they were in the car and she still hadn't spoken to him.

'Look Bones, I know you're upset, we all are. You loved Zach and he has betrayed that love. That hurts. But you'll be fine, I promise.'

She looked at him. Her eyes seemed empty to him, emptier than he had ever seen them.

'I don't know how to deal with this, Booth,' she whispered.

No tears, no emotions, nothing.

He put a hand on hers. 'Hey, it's ok to feel something.'

'It's illogical for me to feel compassion, but still, I do.'

He shook his head. 'Nothing illogical about it. He was like a child to you, Bones. You loved him like a mother. When that trust is betrayed, it hurts.'

She was looking outside, at nothing in particular.

Booth released her hand. 'It's not your fault, you know. He made the decision on his own. He would have made it with or without you. None of this is down to you. You know that, right?'

She shook her head slowly. 'Some of it is my fault. I made Zach believe in logic. I made him think that if something is logical, it's always right. He believed me. I should have had more control over him.'

'He already believed in logic, Bones. You didn't push him to this, he did that himself. In the end, we're not in control.'

He wasn't getting through to her and he saw it. This could possibly destroy her and he was afraid he wasn't helping. He wanted to get through to her but it was a hard struggle, one he had fought with her many times, but never over such a deep, irreparable loss.

He pulled up to her building and walked with her until they reached her door. She turned around. 'Thanks for taking me home, Booth. Do you want to come in? I have some liquor.'

Secretly, she just really didn't want to be alone. She knew Booth would keep her company without pushing her to talk to him, and she needed that.

He recognized her reasons in her eyes and he was glad to at least see something in those blue depths. So he accepted, following her in, and taking a glass of whiskey from her when she offered.

He sat down on the couch. How many times had he sat down on this couch, with her close to him, needing his comfort and friendship but resisting everything else? He couldn't remember when he had stopped counting. Somewhere along the lines of those three years of partnership, he had stopped hoping for more with her. He still wanted her, more than yesterday every day, but she resisted him without words. He would be happy to be her rock in situations like these, her guide back to sanity, but he wanted to be her guide in so many more ways. He hoped she knew, but he doubted she had given herself a chance to see it. So he just sat there, drinking his whiskey, with her right next to him, deeply occupied with her own thoughts.

She had only offered him a drink because she couldn't be alone. She knew he was looking at her, she knew he was wondering if he was enough help to her. She wanted to reassure him but looking at him would be a dangerous move. She might see things in his eyes she didn't want to see. Their partnership was challenging enough, him trying to teach her so much she could barely keep up. A relationship would be even harder, she would have no idea what to do or what to say to him, because she would never admit to it, but her feelings for him were very different from what she'd felt before. She felt oddly protective of him when situations got dangerous, and she appreciated his protectiveness over her. She pretended to be irritated by it, but secretly, she admired his alpha-male displays of strength and protectiveness. She had analyzed every move he had ever made on her and it hadn't taken the scientist in her to figure out he was trying to court her. It scared her on a very primitive level so she had decided on their first case together that she would never let him get closer. If she did, she might end up losing her grip on logic to something she didn't know if she believed in. That scared her even more than the prospect of losing him like she lost Zach.

Suddenly, she broke the silence.

'Why don't I feel something, Booth?'

He looked at her. 'What do you mean?'

'I don't feel anything. No pain, no sadness, nothing.'

He put down his glass and turned towards her a little. 'That's probably the shock. Your brain has shut down your emotions so you will be able to deal with them later.'

She looked at him, her eyes dead serious. 'How do I stop it?'

He shook his head. 'You don't want to go there, Bones. Believe me. The feelings will come back, I promise.'

'I haven't felt much of anything for a long time, but this is worse,' she said. He frowned.

'How do you mean, haven't felt much of anything? Are you all right?'

She looked at him, meeting his eyes. The concern she saw there knocked her off her game for a second, but she recovered.

'I'm fine. I just.. With this case, it's hard to not get too involved so I shut down my emotions to be able to deal with the facts.'

His eyes grew big. 'And that helped?'

'Well, apparently not,' she whispered. He knew what she meant. She thought that if she had allowed herself to experience everything the others experienced, she might have been able to get Zach out of his delusion before it had aggravated.

'You're wrong, you know.'

'About what?' she frowned as well.

'About shutting off your emotions. No one can do that, not even you. You just pretend you're unaffected.'

'But I am, I don't feel anything,' she said and the sadness in her voice somehow got him wondering. What if she had taken it too far this time? What if she really didn't feel anything?

'How do I feel something, Booth?'

He looked at her again, and the sadness in her eyes broke his heart. Before he knew what his body was doing, he crushed his lips to hers and kissed her.

His lips moved over hers, not at all softly. His hands went to her cheeks, cupping them and holding her to him.

A rush of something she could not identify went through her, and for a moment she froze. Then, she threw her arms around him and kissed him back. Her tongue snuck out to meet his.

Suddenly, he realized what he was doing. He pulled back.

'God, Bones, I'm sorry.'

But she hung onto him and she wasn't going to let go.

'No, it's ok, make me feel,' she panted, her eyes still sad but pleading with him not to go.

'I can't.. We can't, Bones.'

She shook her head and kissed him again, with the same urgency he had kissed he with.

His body was reacting very fast to her, and he knew he had to stop this or he wouldn't be able to leave tonight. Her lips were driving him crazy, her tongue asking his lips for access. Her hands were on his back, gripping his shirt and holding him close. Her hair was falling forward onto his face and he could feel and smell its softness.

It was all too much.

He put his hands on her shoulders and pushed her back. 'No, Bones.'

She was startled by his strength and she sat back on the couch. 'You're right,' she whispered. 'We shouldn't.'

He was looking at her, searching for her eyes but they were directed at her hands lying in her lap.

'No, we shouldn't,' he repeated. 'I can't have sex with you for the sake of it.'

She reached for his hand without looking at him and the touch startled him. 'I'm sorry,' she whispered.

He couldn't believe his ears. 'Why?'

She met his eyes suddenly and he saw so much emotion and pain that his heart immediately jumped and tugged for him to close the distance again.

'I can't let this happen,' she whispered.

Was it just him or were her eyes trying to tell him a different story?

'Are you sure, Temperance?' he whispered back. Her hand tightened around his and she had a hard time containing her tears.

'Hey, it's ok, you're allowed to feel sad,' he said, moving closer and putting his other arm around her shoulder. 'Talk to me.'

She nodded. 'I can't control this, it's so stupid,' she whispered. 'One moment I feel numb and dead inside, the next I feel myself being pulled towards you in a strange way.'

He looked at her, seeing the truth in her eyes.

'What do you mean, in a strange way?'

She dropped her head to his shoulder. 'I want us to have sex. I need us to have sex. I need to feel that connection again. But I can't.. Because if we cross that line.. It will only cause me pain.'

He looked at her. Her head was lying on his shoulder and he could see a tear running down from the corner of her eye, down her cheek and onto her lip. Her tongue came out to lick it off and he was overwhelmed by a desire to lick it off for her. He leaned down and kissed her forehead. 'Hey, that's not necessarily true.'

'Why not?' she asked. 'It always causes pain afterwards.'

He leaned his head back on the back of the couch, feeling her shifting a little but not moving away.

'Well,' he started, knowing he would have to be very careful in his words. 'Sometimes.. The price is greater than the risk, if you know what I mean.' She shook her head to indicate she didn't.

'You fall for someone like I fell for you, you know it's worth the risk. Only you are so analytical, you need evidence before you take the risk. Only thing is, you can't have evidence without first taking the chance.'

She nodded. 'I believe you are correct.'

He pulled her a little closer. 'Please, we can try.'

She shook her head. 'I can't risk losing you so soon after I've lost Zach,' she sobbed.

He kissed her forehead again. 'I know. But you remember what I told you, about our journey? We try our whole lives to find our other half, I've tried, my whole life. But I feel, deep inside, that I don't have to anymore. You're right in front of me, all the time. I just need to convince you and we'll be that couple I talked about.'

She sat up, looking at him. 'You mean.. We have a spark?'

He smiled at her. 'You haven't felt it?'

She looked down again, as if trying to look inside herself to locate the spark.

'I have felt an attraction to you, of course. But that's logical.'

He smiled down at her. She really was a difficult one to convince.

'Of course it's logical. But let go of that for a second. I know you believe in trying to complete each other. We do that, in every way but one, Bones.'

Deep inside, something else nagged at her. What if she would give him this one night. She was emotionally in a very unfamiliar place, and she had felt so good when he had kissed her. She knew she probably needed a release, it would help her feel better, and she also thought it would be a good opportunity to see if they were acceptable together.

So she decided to ask him.

'One night?'

He almost hadn't heard her. And what he had heard, he wasn't sure he liked.

'One night?' he repeated.

She nodded. 'I need to be certain I won't get scared. And Angela told me I miss so much by not trusting myself, but I trust you. One night, and after that we'll see.'

His head was spinning. Could he make her see sense in one night? He probably could, but what if he failed? What if, tomorrow morning, she pulled out of his life? How would he live with himself? How would she live with herself if she didn't pull out? But it was a chance, and a big one. He was scared, though. She was at a very vulnerable stage of recovery after a big, painful blow to her heart. Then, he realized his best chance. Make her forget, make her focus on him. He could do that. He knew he could. So he accepted.

'Ok, one night.'


	2. Tonight

_and you got style_

_and you got grace_

_and you got the means_

_to leave that place_

_but you'll never, never make it_

_and you'll never, never break it_

_until you learn to see_

_until you're set free_

He almost regretted the decision the second he had made it. She'd think he was taking advantage of her in the morning. She'd run, she'd hide and she'd never look at him again.

'Bones.. Maybe this isn't such a good idea.'

She looked at him, no emotion apparent in her eyes. 'Why?'

He sighed. 'Because.. I don't want to take advantage of you.'

She frowned. 'It's just sex, Booth.'

He almost laughed at her objectiveness. She was so wrong, but he guessed she knew. So he dropped it.

'Ok. But I want you to promise me something. I get to stay, all night long, and tomorrow morning, if you have questions or whatever, you don't run but you let me help.'

She considered his terms for a second, then she agreed. 'Okay. But tomorrow, we go back to how we were.'

'If that's what you want, then yes,' Booth answered. He prayed to God for that little extra strength and knowledge to make her realize she didn't want to live without him in her bed, and for the first time, he thought this night would have to prove God's existence.

Brennan hadn't moved, and he had half expected her to start undressing, but she hadn't. He didn't know if she was waiting for him or if she was just comfortable, but he was content to stay on the couch for a little while longer.

He wrapped his arms a bit tighter around her waist and he felt her hand move up over his heart. He knew she was probably waging a battle inside her head just like he was, but it was a completely different battle.

After a few minutes, she moved away to look at him. He decided that was as good a time as any to start his tactics. He moved in slowly, smelling her shampoo and perfume and just plain simple Temperance. He inhaled her scent, committing it to memory for the rest of his days.

She felt her stomach flutter slightly, and her lips parted on their own accord. She was drawn to this man in a very intimate way, at least now she was. She wanted him to kiss her, wanted him to take her and never stop. But she knew what she'd committed to: One night. She hoped it was enough.

Then, his lips met hers. It was their third kiss, but it didn't compare to the first two in any way.

Booth moved his lips to fit hers perfectly, feeling the slight tension replaced by softness. He kissed her upper lip, then her lower, and she felt as if she would catch fire right then and there. His tongue was hot against her lips and she parted them willingly. Then, she realized she had to stay in control, so she shifted on top of him to straddle him and pulled back. He was looking at her, boldly, his eyes telling her so much that words weren't needed. She almost backed out right then.

But she didn't.

Instead, she kissed him again, hungry for his body and craving to feel skin against skin. She lifted her hands to his neck, keeping him to her. His hands were busy pulling her blouse out of her pants and sneaking under her green jacket, his cold hands touched her warm back for the first time. She jumped slightly at the contact, and he held her to him. Her hands moved to unbutton her jacket and he slid it off her shoulders, stopping her movements to remove her necklace before he moved his hands back to her soft skin.

His lips had left her mouth to travel down her jawbone to her neck and back to her lips. She pulled back slightly, and he searched for her eyes. She looked at him her eyes hungry for him and he wondered at how she had kept this side hidden from him for so long. In front of him was a pure animal, sexy, wild, hurt and disappointed in what the world had dealt her. He pulled her close again, biting her earlobe softly.

The next minute was a blur for both of them. She moved her hands to the buttons on his shirt and within a few seconds, his shirt was off and his pants were at his feet. He had her blouse off somehow, she had no idea how and her pants were also at her feet. She stepped out of them and he followed her, leaving them naked apart from their underwear.

She hadn't bothered with the light switch and as she moved to her bedroom, Booth followed her, barely being able to see anything but her.

He caught up with her before she was on her bed and he turned her around in his arms to face him.

'You're beautiful,' he said. It was kind of a low shot but it was so true, he just felt the need to remind her. She smiled, but the smile didn't reach her eyes. He knew she still hurt badly from what had happened today, and it was his task to make her forget.

He gestured for her to lay down on the bed, and he followed her, moving over her but supporting his weight on his knees and elbows. She locked her arms around his back and kissed his lips. He responded in kind, kissing her so passionately she moaned into his mouth. He smiled.

'Relax, Bones. Enjoy the moment.' He hoped it wasn't too soon to say something like that, giving that she had admitted to not being able to enjoy anything lately. She didn't say anything but she softly raked her teeth over his lower lip.

At that moment, he realized something Gordon Wyatt had said to him a long time ago. You control your environment. You feel safe when you're in control. Bones was exactly like him, but tonight, he would be different. He would lose control for her, and she'd feel something. She'd feel loved.

He had wanted to take things slow, at least their first time together. He knew she hadn't been with anyone since Sully, which had been over a year ago. He had wanted to kiss her, make her whole body surrender to him before he would have come down on her to taste her. But he couldn't. He couldn't deny her what she wanted. And she wanted him.

So he cocked his head to the side, smiled at her, and moved to sit between her legs. She locked her arms around his neck and pulled him down to her, her mouth in a beautiful devilish grin.

He was so mesmerized by her that he didn't see her next move coming. He gasped for air when she locked her legs on either side of his hips and in a movement impossible for him to comprehend, turned them so he was lying on his back. She laughed at his shock before he moved up to kiss the smile off her face. She thrust her tongue past his lips, and he groaned again at her need. She didn't need him to go slow. She didn't want him to.

Brennan's heart was beating faster than ever. Sex with Booth, finally. She hadn't felt this desired or wanted in a very long time and it felt good. One thing she did want though, was control. So when he had moved over her to copulate, she had turned the tables by surprising him. She tried to remind herself of why she was doing this. She needed to feel. But why had she chosen Booth? Why not get drunk and find a man in need of a booty call in some bar? She knew why. She trusted Booth with her life, and right now her life was on the line.

A while later, he collapsed right next to her, careful not to fall on top of her, his arms wrapped around her like hers were wrapped around him. He held her like she was a little child in need of comfort, until she stirred and her hands released him.

She needed some distance, so she let him go and moved away a little, lying on her side facing him.

'You ok?' he asked, scanning her face of any indication of how she was feeling. She looked him in the eye and his heart jumped. Her eyes looked full. Full of life, full of strength and full of.. Well, just full.

He expected her to say she was fine, like always. But she didn't. She just nodded and reached to pull the blankets over them. He smiled and took her hand under the blankets, content to lie with her holding her hand if that was all the contact she would allow.

They laid together for a few minutes. Then, she stretched and moved a bit closer to him.

'You have excellent control,' she said. Her voice was back to normal, if not a little more relaxed. He wiggled his eyebrows. 'Like a god, huh?' She smiled back at him. 'Don't brag.'

'You were pretty amazing yourself,' he said very quietly, so she would have an excuse for ignoring the comment if she felt uneasy. She didn't. 'Thanks.'

'I think we both needed that,' he started.

She shook her head and closed her eyes. 'Don't. I don't want to do this right now.'

He nodded and instinctively moved an arm around her waist to pull her closer. She stirred.

'I'm sorry,' he said, and pulled back his arm. She opened her eyes again. 'No,' she said, and moved closer to him, reaching for his hand and putting it back on her waist. 'It's ok, I need to feel a connection.'

He liked her explaining to him what she needed. It told him she actually knew what she wanted and what she needed, and that she would allow him to help her.

His thumb stroked her hipbone until her eyes had fallen shut and her breathing had evened out. When he was sure she was asleep, he allowed his mind to go over the events of the evening. Strange evening. Maybe even wrong, but he couldn't care. He would make her stay with him. He would make her his. By the end of tonight, she wouldn't want to live without him anymore.

What he didn't know, was that inside her head, the decision had been made. Maybe she didn't even know it yet. But subconsciously, she had surrendered a part of her soul to Booth the second she had invited him to remove her bra. He wouldn't have to fight for her anymore, for she had been his to start with. It had only taken this terrible blow to her heart to make her realize that without him, she would never be able to heal from blows like this. She would fool herself into believing that she could do it, but she'd always use him to stay connected to herself.

He smiled to himself. He would let her sleep for now, content just to watch her and revel in the fact that he was indeed next to her, in her bed, with her as naked as he was. In a few hours, he'd wake her up with a kiss to her temple, before moving down her body to worship it as he had planned to do the first time. Everything happens eventually, he remembered. You just got to be ready for it.


	3. That Night

Brennan had a dream. Not a nightmare like she usually had, but a nice dream. So nice in fact, that it was disturbing. She dreamt of Booth sleeping next to her, his arms wrapped around her, one hand covering her breast. She dreamt of his other hand moving down her side, and she stirred in her sleep.

Booth was lying next to her, propped up on one elbow so he could watch her respond to his touch.

He carefully kissed her temple, watching her stir in her sleep. She'd been dreaming for a while now, he had seen her eyes move and her face live through a number of emotions. His hand had moved to her shoulder. She was lying facing him, her face on the pillow and her hands underneath it, keeping it to her. The sheet was locked under her arm, covering her from his eyes but leaving her perfect shape for him to admire.

His hand stroked her shoulder, then moved down to her side. He saw her frown a little, and he felt her muscles tense under his hand. He smiled, she wasn't used to someone in her bed, and he loved trying to coax her out of her sleep into another kind of dream. He knew she could probably use her sleep, but she could also use some old-fashioned type loving. Sleep she could get any time, but the loving was something she had admitted to for one night only. So far. So although he would have loved to spend his entire night watching her face, he knew he had other priorities.

His hand reached her hipbone, stroking her skin through the covers. He started moving back up again when she turned to lie on her back, still asleep. His hand came to lie on her stomach, only millimeters away from where her arm had ended up in her turning.

He stroked along her stomach, brushing her hand with his thumb. She opened her mouth and mouthed something he couldn't decipher. 'Wake up, Bones,' he whispered.

Then, she suddenly opened her eyes. She quickly scanned her surroundings before settling on him. 'What time is it?'

He moved his hand over hers. 'Relax, you were only asleep for a short time.'

'Then why did you wake me?' She frowned.

He leaned in to kiss her softly, but she pulled away a little. So he kissed her naked shoulder instead.

She looked at him, a slight frown on her face. Didn't she remember? Did she have regrets already? He didn't want to find out. So he sat up a bit more to study her. It was still dark, but he could see her big eyes grasp and process the situation before settling on him. She recognized where she was and who she was with. He was aching to see her entire body again, and knowing it was right there, naked, under the sheets, made him grow hard just with the thought of it. So he slowly moved both his hands to the rim of the covers, making sure she got his intention and giving her time to change her position. She didn't and she watched his eyes intently as they grew darker.

His right hand grasped the sheet softly, gathering some of the fabric in his hand. He started to slowly move the sheet down her body. She didn't blink and kept looking at him, unashamed and uninhibited. He loved this side of her. She could be like this on cases, willing to go anywhere anytime to solve it, all she needed was him to follow her. And now, he was following her. She was telling him to do this, her body calling for him to reveal her to his eyes. So he did.

His hand slid over her breast with the sheet, and he could feel her nipple respond to the friction. A smile appeared on his face, and she cocked one eyebrow up in response, still watching him.

The sheet slowly revealed her to his eyes and by the time it was around her hips, he was shaking with anticipation. He could see the creamy white surface of her body, lit only by the small stroke of light falling through the curtains onto the bed. It created a ray of light across her body, from her left hipbone over her stomach and right breast to grace the side of her face and light up her hair. The rest of her was beautifully curved shadows, and the mystery added to his arousal.

She knew she must be an eyeful for him, she could see the reaction his body was having to her. She liked having control over a man's urges, she liked bringing them on their knees with adoration. But Booth was different. He didn't need her to do anything. He adored her so completely already, she didn't need to bring him down to do anything. He'd do it by himself, and he'd love every second of it and as she anticipated, so would she.

He locked eyes with her again to make sure she was still all right. She was, and as she opened her mouth to say something, he captured her lips with his. No words were needed. His hands slid the sheet off to his side of the bed, revealing her completely to him. His hands occupied themselves with getting to know every curve and every feeling of her, warming her skin to his touch as they went. She moaned into his mouth and her hands came up to his chest. She felt the marks she'd made there before, and she pulled back to look at them. 'God, I'm sorry, Booth.'

He frowned and followed the line her eyes were taking. Only then did he notice the red marks on his chest, six of them, almost animalistic. Another rush of arousal went through him. She had done that to him. She might not see it as such, but to him, it was a signal. He was hers.

'Don't worry. Looks good on me,' he said. 'And by the way, I may have left a mark or two on you as well,' he whispered into her ear.

It was her time to feel a pool of pure lust gather in her lower abdomen. This man was an animal. And a god. And an amazing lover.

She smiled at him, that devilish look back on her face. 'I don't care.'

Then, she gasped as his hand made contact with her inner thigh. She moved her legs apart by instinct, and moved her hands to his shoulders to direct him down her body. She needed him to do what he was about to do. And he would be glad to comply with her rules.

So he moved down her body, kissing her on every inch of flesh he could get his lips on. He passed a few scars and a bruise, but he decided to leave the explanations for later. When he reached his destination, he looked up at her. She had obviously decided to enjoy this, her head was back on the pillow, her mouth slightly open in something close to a smile. Her eyes were closed and he could see her eyelids flutter softly when he touched his fingers to her for the first time.

He ran his fingers through her folds once, seeing their combined juices on his fingers. He found it to be a very erotic sight, and he had to fight the urge to go down on her immediately. But he wanted to take things slower. He kissed the inside of her left, then her right thigh. She moaned, she wanted him to stop teasing but he wasn't going to. He looked up at her, stopping his ministrations. Her head came up a little to look at him, and when she was watching him waiting for his next move, he brought his fingers to his mouth and licked them clean. His other hand, still on her thigh, felt her muscles tense and a smile appeared on his face. Her eyes were dark, and her mouth was curved in a mischievous smile. He felt a rush of emotions surge through him and he decided to concentrate on the job at hand. His fingers teased her softly, and her head dropped back onto the bed with a sigh. 'Booth..' He loved her voice, low and content. In one second, he wondered if she had thought of Zach tonight. He would know later on, but it nagged him anyway.

A deep moan from her got him back to the present. His fingers had continued their exploration on their own, and they'd found a way to work their magic on her. One finger was circling her clit, the other teasing her opening and she was squirming under his fingers. Her chest arched up and her hips followed, making him lose contact. She came back down and he put an arm around her hips to keep her body in control. He remembered thinking that someone who was so uninhibited in their daily life must be more inhibited in bed. But she wasn't.

She bucked up again when his finger circled her opening and teased her even more. 'Booth.. Please,' she whimpered. 'Stop teasing.' He complied and slid his middle finger inside in one movement, feeling her muscles grip him immediately. 'Yes!' she called, louder than both had expected. He smiled and added to her pleasure by running his tongue where his finger had been over her clit. He had to use all his strength to keep her down on the bed, and he was amazed by the force of her movements. 'Easy, Bones,' he grinned.

Then, he gave her more reasons to buck up off the bed. He started moving his finger in and out of her, adding a second finger after a few strokes. She moaned as he stretched her insides. She felt another rush of wetness go to her centre and she knew he must taste it. It was so erotic, combined with the trust she had in this man, that it brought tears to her eyes. Then, he thrust a little harder and hit her spot. She felt her orgasm start deep inside and slowly start spreading over her body. 'Don't stop,' she whimpered. Booth closed his mouth over her clit and released her hips, knowing she would enjoy it more if she could move freely. He smiled to himself when he felt her muscles grip his moving fingers and felt her body start to shudder. He tried to stay with her in her frantic movements, but largely failed when she curved off the bed and to the left. She fell back onto the blankets, her eyes closed and a beautiful smile on her face. He felt his heart swell, let his fingers slip slowly from her and joined her. He didn't pull the blankets up, knowing she'd be hot. She turned her head to his side and opened her eyes to peek at him. She didn't say anything, and Booth felt a bit uneasy. 'You ok?' he asked. She nodded. 'You?'

'Sure,' he answered. He was still very aroused but he didn't care. Her pleasure was his.

She turned her body towards him, pulling one leg up a little. Her curves where even more tempting this way then they were when she was on her back and he couldn't resist tracing a hand from her ribs to her upper thigh. Her waist dipped down so far and he noticed she was very slim there, smaller than he'd thought. She was still so full of secrets, and he loved trying to uncover some of them.

His eyes burned hotly on her skin and she could see the arousal in his eyes. She felt a strange urge to satisfy him, but she fought it. She let him touch her, and she enjoyed it thoroughly, feeling goose bumps everywhere he touched. He locked eyes with her and leaned in to kiss her. She kissed him back, but she held back a little.

He eased out of the kiss and looked at her. She looked satisfied, but there was something else in her eyes. She sighed and pressed her lips together in a way that told him something was bothering her.

'It's ok, Bones. Talk to me,' Booth said. He knew he had to be a good friend as well as a good lover if he wanted to convince her to try this for longer than one night.

She lowered her head and reached for the covers. He helped her pull them over them and then sat back leaning on the headboard to wait for her to be ready to talk.

It took her a few seconds to get her thoughts straight. Then, she decided she owed Booth the explanation so she sighed, looked at him and then back at her hands which were lying in her lap.

'You know, sex isn't something I do with just anyone.'

He nodded. 'I know.'

She met his eyes briefly before focusing on her hands again.

'I really.. I really wish this wouldn't be so hard.'

'Hard? Bones, did I do something wrong?' He thought she was talking about the sex. He thought he'd let her down, that she hadn't enjoyed herself.

She shook her head furiously. 'No! It's not your fault. I mean Zach.'

He nodded. 'You're thinking of Zach. Ok. Well, he was a good friend to you, so it won't just disappear. The feelings. They'll stay with you a while. But you're stronger than that, Bones. You can deal with it.'

She looked at him, uncertainty in her eyes. 'Really? You think so?'

He nodded. 'I'm sure. And you don't have to do it alone. All your squints were deeply affected, you're not alone.'

She looked sad. 'But you didn't like Zach.'

'But I like you and you liked him. That's enough for me.'

She nodded slowly. 'I accept your reasoning.'

He had to ask. He couldn't continue this without knowing.

'Do you regret this?'

Her eyes grew large and she sat up further to face him. The sheet slipped down a little but he was too anxious to notice.

'No! Why would you say that?'

Then, she realized something. 'Do you?'

He shook his head. 'What? Of course not!' He wanted to say that this was a dream come true, that he never wanted to let her go, that she was everything he ever wanted, that she was the only one he'd ever want ever again. But he didn't.

'I do not have regrets, Bones. And I hope you don't either.'

She shook her head and moved down the bed to lie fully down. She pulled the covers around her. 'I told you, no regrets. But I feel guilty for not thinking of Zach.'

He joined her, grateful that she seemed to be ok with him there. 'But that's the point. You did think of Zach, the fact that you're feeling guilty proves that.'

She looked at him, a strand of hair falling across her face. 'You're right.'

He reached to softly stroke the strand away from her face and tuck it behind her ear. 'I hope I helped you feel something, though.'

She blushed a little, and he was amazed. Bones, so uninhibited, so free, but she blushed.

'Yes, I did. In fact, I believe I have never felt better.'

He smiled. 'Get some sleep.' She frowned. 'What about you?' He didn't know what she meant at first, then he saw her look at the bulge apparent under the blankets.

'Don't worry, that will go away. I've had a great time.' She nodded and snuggled into the sheets a little more. He noticed she gathered some of the cloth and hugged it close.

'Hey, come here,' he whispered, and gestured for her to get closer. She did.

'Turn around.' She frowned but complied, and he spooned her into his body. His arm came around her and instinctively, she grabbed it and hugged it to her. Then, she realized that what she had done with the blanket, or sometimes an extra pillow, for years now, was a substitute. She smiled. 'Thanks.'

He kissed the back of her neck. 'Anytime.'

She needed him to show her things like this. It proved to her that she did need him. She may not like it, but in her life, he was the focal point of everything. When she got up, she'd hurry to meet him in time for breakfast. In her lab, she'd wait for him to have a case or work hard so she'd have facts to show him. She'd look forward to lunch, or drinks in the Founding Fathers. They'd meet socially when they didn't have a case, or he would casually drop by the lab. She'd never given it much thought. But now that she did, she could not see the harm in enhancing her life by having him with her her entire life instead of only half the time. Only thing, she'd promised him one night. And one night only.


	4. Morning After

She was awake again a couple of hours later. Her alarm indicated it was close to 4, which meant her night with Booth was coming to an end soon. She'd have to get up at 6, two hours left. Booth looked like he was asleep, in fact, he looked like he was sleeping like a baby, his chin on top of her head and his arms around her. She thought of how the remainder of the night could go. She could wake him and they'd have more amazing sex, or she could wake him to talk, or she could let him sleep and enjoy his company. She didn't want to talk to him, but she knew she had to. Still, she felt it was best if she relaxed and tried to get some more sleep instead. So she sighed and wriggled a bit, trying to get more comfortable. She felt him stir behind her and she froze, hoping she hadn't woken him up.

Behind her, Booth opened his eyes. He stayed still, knowing she thought she'd woken him. She had, but he hadn't really been asleep to begin with. It was more like a really deep daydream, and his heart ached remembering it. Next to him, Brennan rubbed a few locks of hair from her face, pushed her nose into her pillow and stroked the hairs on his arm shortly before she stilled. He smiled to himself, she thought he was asleep, so she could do whatever she wanted without him knowing. She had shown him that she really trusted him, just now, with the small movements she'd made. But she didn't know he'd noticed. However, he didn't care. There was hope for him yet.

'Booth. Booth, wake up.'

A soft voice penetrated his sleep. It was Bones, trying to wake him. 'It's 6 o'clock. I have to get up.'

He moaned, opened his eyes and stretched, carefully disentangling his limbs from around her. 'Already?'

'Yeah,' she answered, sitting up in the bed and reaching for her robe on a chair next to her bed. He looked at her, making no effort to get up. He could be fast so he had time to watch her now. She had her back to him, and she looked over her shoulder. 'Come on, you have to get in as well.'

'I'm really fast in the morning. I have time.'

She grinned, not at all embarrassed at her nakedness. She stood from the bed, taking the robe and putting it around her shoulders while she walked into the bathroom. 'I'm taking a shower, and you're staying out,' she called. He nodded to himself. 'Ok.'

At least she was receptive, listening to him and joking with him. She hadn't thrown him out in the middle of the night. In fact, she'd done the opposite. He stayed in her bed until he heard her shut off the water flow, then he got out and dressed quickly, starting some coffee and looking in her cupboards for breakfast. 'What would you like to eat?' he called. It took her a few seconds to respond, and he smiled at the fact that she probably had expected him to dress and leave. He hoped she wouldn't take it the wrong way.

'Toast with cheese, please, Booth,' she called back. He took the toaster and stuck two sandwiches in it. 'Coming right up.'

She emerged from the bathroom fully dressed and ready for work. She smiled at him, unsure what to say or do. He walked towards her and handed her a steaming cup of coffee. 'Here, so you don't have to run past the coffee cart.'

'Thanks,' she said, her voice soft. 'Booth.'

'Yeah?' he walked to the toaster to put two sandwiches for himself in.

'Thank you for tonight.'

He turned to face her again. 'Are you kidding me? Thank you! Thank you for letting me be with you.'

She took a plate and reached in her fridge for the cheese. 'I needed it.'

'You feel better now?'

She nodded. 'I feel.. Yes, I feel better.'

'Good,' he smiled. 'So, what are your plans for today?'

She shrugged. 'We'll have to compile the evidence, and we can start moving the Gormogon vault.'

'You sure you want to do that already?'

She frowned at him. 'What do you mean?'

He took his toast, got a cup of coffee as well and sat down on her couch, and she joined him.

'I mean, it's only been a few hours, Bones. Give yourself and your team some time to recover before you dive into that.'

She shook her head. 'But we have to, it's important.'

He put a hand over hers like he had done many times to get through to her. 'You know what? I'll start on it. You relax and spend some time with Angela and your squints. I'll call you if I need any help.

'You can use my office, if that's more convenient,' she answered quickly, not liking the idea to have to call him to hear his voice. Also, all the evidence was at the Jeffersonian, and so was her paperwork. He'd need all of that, so it was a logical offer.

He took her up on it. 'Ok, thanks.'

Her eyes brightened a little, she smiled, and she held his eyes longer than usual. She was so lucky to have him. Then, she turned sad. One night, and the night was over.

'I'm going to work, you can join me if you want to or come in later,' Booth said. She nodded, took the plates to the kitchen and got her coat. 'Drop me off at the Jeffersonian and join me back there when you've gathered your files from the FBI.' He looked around making sure he hadn't forgotten anything, lead her to the car and drove off.

They parted without many more words, just usual goodbyes. Booth was torn between showing his affection for Bones and Brennan had no intention of breaking her arrangement with him. However, she did want to tell him to keep an open mind about this recurring, but she didn't know how to tell him. He'd be back soon with the case files, she'd try to talk to him then. She had never been very good at communicating with people, but she could manage talking to Booth. She hoped.

Within the hour, Booth was back at the Jeffersonian. Brennan was hard at work, in her labcoat as usual, gathering evidence from the explosion residue and Gormogon vault to compile. She wouldn't be required to present any evidence against Zach, just for the Gormogon case in general, so she could do that without too much difficulty.

Angela had taken the day off and Hodgins supposedly was with her, Cam was with Zach and so was Caroline Julian. That left Bones alone at the lab and without Zach, she was alone. She hadn't noticed Booth come in and she startled when he zipped his card through security. 'Booth.'

'Hi Bones, how're you doing?'

'Compiling evidence has been a satisfying task, I believe we have more than enough physical proof for any judge and jury.'

He nodded. 'Good.'

She looked at him. 'Did you get the files? What do you need from me'

He showed her the box he was carrying. 'Can I put this down in your office? You just need to connect my evidence and statements to yours, that's all, we'll be done in no time.'

Brennan sighed. 'Can we talk?'

He walked from the lab platform towards her office. 'Sure.'

'About last night.'

Booth put down the box on her desk and moved to sit on her couch. 'Of course, Bones.'

His voice didn't betray any emotion, or she just couldn't read any. She tried playing neutral as well.

'Our arrangement was satisfactory.'

He smiled. 'It was.'

Brennan looked around a bit, avoiding his eyes. 'I think it is an acceptable method of dealing with my emotions when they get too difficult for me to handle.'

He nodded again. 'I would agree. And I was glad to be of assistance.'

She met his eyes and actually grinned. 'I know.'

He waited for her to say more, and when she didn't, he worried.

'So, back to partners?'

'Yes, Booth. The arrangement was, one night. I might call upon one night again, though.'

He looked at her, his eyes big.

'If that's ok with you,' she added, frowning a little.

Booth's eyes grew warm and a smile appeared on his lips. 'Anytime, partner.' He knew it was so much more than that. But she had proven to him that it was more to her too, even if she didn't know it. When he'd been awake and she'd thought he was asleep, she'd shown him the true Temperance. Dr. Brennan had been asleep, stored away to rest and prepare for daylight, and Temperance had awoken. She'd shown him who she really was, and he loved her even more than he loved Dr. Bones. So he agreed. Partners, with emotional outlets.

Because he knew it was more. And he knew she would know, too.

He needed to tell her one thing, though.

'Bones.. You know I would never take advantage of you, right? Don't feel any kind of obligation towards me.'

She looked at him, no longer frowning. Her eyes were open and clear blue, honesty and purity shining in them. 'Yeah, I know. I would never think that. The same goes for you, never feel obliged to spend the night with me when I ask. If you don't want to, that's ok. I won't feel less about you, I never could.'

He nodded, his heart warmed by her words. 'Good. You're one hell of a woman, Bones.'

'I'd like to go see Zach,' she said, out of the blue.

'Ok,' Booth said. 'But I'm coming with you.'

'No, I'd like to go alone. If that's ok with you.'

He nodded. 'Sure, fine. Meet me for dinner later on?'

She looked down 'Booth..'

'Come on, dinner like always. I'll get Thai and we can finish the case, I'll do some work on it while you go see Zach and we can get this over with tonight.'

She sighed. 'Ok, thanks.'

'Sure thing,' he answered, and sat down on her couch with a pile of paper. 'Tell Zach I'm sorry.'

'I will. Thanks again, Booth,' Brennan said, before taking her coat and walking out of her office. She looked back at him from the corridor, and he didn't see the smile forming around her lips. He wasn't even close to realizing how much she actually needed someone to help her stay strong, and for the first time in a very long time, she knew exactly that he was the only way she'd get through this.

Booth did some work on the case, like he'd promised Brennan. He made sure all the evidence was compiled and nothing was left out, but he paid extra attention to putting it together in a way that would convince a jury of the 'weak personality is dominated by a strong personality'- story, and he called Sweets to make sure he signed the psych evaluation that would put Zach in a mental institution instead of prison. This was important to Bones, so it was important to him.

He called her after a few hours, but she didn't answer. He left her a text asking if everything was ok and to meet him at the Hoover at six, hoping she'd still want to have dinner. He was planning on getting her to talk to him just a little more. He'd learned so much about the emotional side of Temperance the past 24 hours, and he hoped she'd allow him to see more of it, because he knew talking would help and because he just really fell in love with that side of her.

'I love you, Zach,' Brennan said to her protégé. 'I'll visit again as soon as I can. Don't worry, Booth and I are making sure you won't have to go to prison.'

Zach nodded. 'Thank you, doctor Brennan.' With one last look at him, Brennan left. She had been talking to Zach for nearly three hours, and it had given her some peace of mind, because it made her feel like he wasn't gone forever. She had also asked him for his reasons, he had given them, and logically, she had been able to make sense of them. Of course, murder was wrong, but she saw now that right and wrong aren't like black and white. They should be, but they aren't. She'd have to talk to Booth about that, because even though she understood, she didn't know how to encompass it in her life. To her, it had always been simple, murderers are bad, that was the end of it. Now she saw that part of why she had been so very angry with Zach was because he had distorted that balance for her. Zach wasn't bad, but he had murdered. Her logic didn't add up.

Sighing, she started her car and reached for her phone to see if she had missed something. Smiling at the missed call and text from Booth she looked at her watch: 2 PM, so she had plenty of time to drop by the lab, collect her files, head home for a bath and meet Booth at the Hoover.

In that order, she was finished at 5:30 PM, which left her with more than enough time to reach the Hoover in time to meet Booth at 6. She checked her make-up in the mirror and smoothed her skirt before heading out.

Booth was waiting for her, he had heard nothing from her since they'd parted that morning. He saw her cab arrive and smiled at the sight when she got out of her car. She'd made an effort, like she used to do when they went out for dinner somewhere after a case.

'Hey, Bones. You look great,' he greeted her. 'It's just dinner at my place!.'

She smiled and walked up to him. 'I know, I just felt like changing.'

He nodded. 'I can understand a woman's need to change. How was Zach?'

'Good, we had a long conversation. He seems to be doing ok.'

Booth opened the car door for her. 'Good, he'll be fine. Sweets signed the evaluation and Caroline made sure it's all in order. I divided the evidence into your part and mine, so we just have to go over it one last time, sign our statements and that's the end of it.'

She got in and waited for Booth to join her. 'No, it's not the end. Zach needs to see that logic isn't always the only right thing. It's strange, he taught me that but now I feel the need to teach him the things I didn't know until he showed me.'

Booth looked at her and saw tears in her eyes. 'I know, Bones. You'll make him understand. You're a great mentor.'

She looked at him and managed a smile. 'Thanks.'

Then, suddenly, something occurred to her. It scared her so much she almost forgot to breathe. If Booth could make her feel so good, both at work and at home, if he was everything she wanted in a man, if with him, she felt everything she ever hoped to feel, then why not accept it?

The thought knocked the wind out of her and Booth noticed the change, how could he not. 'What's wrong?' he asked, concerned. Brennan just stared ahead for a few seconds, then she looked at him, her eyes wide. 'Nothing. Just.. Drive.'

Booth continued to look at her for a while longer, but he wasn't able to read her so he gave up and drove. Something had scared her, and it had been a very sudden thought. He tried hard to understand but he couldn't. In the passengers seat, Brennan was having trouble as well. The whole case with Zach had caused her to re-evaluate her logic and the way she used it and somehow her body had come to this conclusion her mind wasn't ready to accept. Last night had been amazing for her and she had never wanted it to end, and now, however much she tried, she couldn't get herself to see the logic in having to restrict herself to some nights with Booth.

They drove to his place in silence and he graciously opened the door for her to let her into his apartment. She accepted and entered, suddenly feeling slightly anxious.

'Booth, one thing. We're not going to talk about Zach all evening, ok?' she said. She really didn't feel like the psychobabble she knew he'd throw at her if she didn't warn him. He nodded. 'Sure. No Zach.'

He looked at her, seeing there was something else on her mind and she was having trouble accepting it.

'What's on your mind?' he asked.

She shook her head. 'Nothing important really.'

'Come on, Bones. You really think I'm buying that? Spill.'

She looked at him, her eyes clear blue and her chin slightly shaky. 'Don't tell me what to do.'

He threw up his hands. 'Hey, don't shoot. I'm sorry.'

She shook her head. 'No, I'm sorry. I'm just confused, you know? I can't seem to explain everything anymore and that's new to me.'

He nodded. 'I get it. And on top of that you won't accept the best treatment against loneliness you can get.'

Her eyes snapped to his. 'What?'

'I'm just saying, you need someone to help you through this, and I'm right here but you won't let me. And I'm only accepting that because I know you too well.'

Her eyes turned angry, then sad. 'I'm fine alone.'

'No you're not. Come on, you may be able to survive alone but you'll never be fine. Let me help, Bones. Just for once, I promise I won't get too attached or too close. Your rules, Bones.'

She recognized his words from earlier and smiled. Suddenly she felt the need to confide in him.

'I want to tell you something but you have to promise me not to laugh,' she said, putting her coat on a hook and moving over to his couch.

'I would never laugh, Bones, you know that,' Booth said. She glared at him, showing him she was dead serious. 'Ok, I promise.'

'This.. arrangement we had. It was satisfying for both of us, and I was wondering if you would maybe consider making it more regular.'

Booth's jaw dropped. 'More regular.' All he could do was repeat the words spoken from her mouth. 'More regular. How regular are we talking about?'

'Quite regular.'

'You're not being very scientific here, Bones. I wouldn't want to get the wrong idea.'

She sighed. 'Booth.. Just.. More regular, ok?'

He continued to look at her, seeing she wasn't completely sure how regular she wanted it to be herself.

'Ok, more regular. Bones, I can't do that. Not without an emotional attachment. I'll give you your space but no polygamous relationships here, ok? And no keeping me out of personal things, no rejecting my help. If you want to keep this between us, fine, I'll be professional at work but no being ashamed of this.'

He stopped his river of words when he noticed her eyes. They were a mixture of confusion and sadness and suddenly, fear overcame him. He had misunderstood her.

'Bones, I'm sorry. Wasn't that what you meant? I'm sorry.'

She shook her head. 'No, no. It was what I meant. I'm just.. I'm so stupid, Booth. I'm making this so much more difficult than it has to be. I'm such an idiot.'

He moved towards her on the couch and put his arms around her. The struggle he had expected didn't happen, she accepted his embrace and as she buried her head in the crook of his neck he felt her tears saturate his shirt. 'It's ok, Bones. You're not stupid. It's ok.'

He held her for a little while, and when she withdrew he let her go. 'Just one thing, Bones.'

She looked at him, adjusting her smeared make up. 'What?'

'I never want it to be just sex. Ok? You can say it's just sex all you want but just admit to me this one time that it's more.'

She should have been surprised at his bluntness but she wasn't. He was right.

'It was never just sex, Booth.'


End file.
